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When my mother passed away, she gave each of us one last gift. Upon contacting the local funeral home, we found that she has already planned out every detail in advance. From the memorial service to the choice of casket and shroud, she has arranged for everything well before she passed away. All we had to do was look over the obituary and then leave things in the capable hands of the funeral director.
I've since done my own advance planning. If you would like some ideas on how to do the same, let's talk. I can promise you that choosing to make all the plans in advance with one of the local funeral homes will be one of the kindest things you could do for your loved ones.

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It goes without saying: a funeral service is always going to include high emotions. But as a pre-planner of your own funeral, you do have a little control over the overall mood when the day comes. If you would rather people remember you as the fun-loving person you are and have more of a life celebration than a funeral, there are a lot of ways you can add some of your own character to the service. Here are a few creative ways you can keep your funeral service more like a life celebration than a dismal event.

Arrange for your funeral to be held at somewhere other than the funeral home.

There is no law saying that you have to have a funeral in an actual funeral home. If you can find a more progressive funeral director, they will be willing to work with you to hold a funeral just about anywhere you choose. You could have your funeral service at your home, your church, or even outdoors if you don't mind doing a little extra planning and paying for tents and temporary shelters. Funeral homes are most often associated with grief. Therefore, stepping away from the traditional setting could help your loved ones feel a bit more like celebrating your life.

Switch up the ambiance at the funeral home with creative embellishments.

While holding a funeral somewhere other than a funeral home is an option, it is also an option that requires a little more planning. If you would prefer to just have your service at the funeral home, you can still easily change up the ambiance of a funeral home with creative embellishments. For example, you could arrange for balloons instead of flowers, colorful lighting, and even a projector screen set up so everyone can view a slideshow of your favorite life memories. You could even leave instructions in your funeral plans for your guests to bring photos of their own to share.

Create your own song playlist or hire musicians for your service.

The soft instrumentals, emotionally charged music, and cliche funeral songs will always provoke an emotional response from a crowd of loved ones who are dealing with your loss. If you want your funeral service to be more celebratory, take the time to create your own playlist of music that consists of more upbeat tunes and songs you love. You could also hire musicians or a live band to perform at your funeral and provide them with a specific playlist you would prefer.

For more information and ideas, talk with a funeral director in your area, such as those at Shepherd Funeral Home.